Toy



Feb. 7, 1933. P. BRUNNER v 1,896,607

' TOY Filed Sept. 21, 1932 IN VEN TOR.

Patented Feb. 7, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT- OFFICE PETER BRUNNER, 0F KENOSHA, WISCONSIN TOY Application filed September 21, 1932. Serial No. 634,135.

and the teaching of the trajectory of falling bodies during the setting up of the toy in the judging of proper relative positions of the discharge end of one runway with respect to the receiving end of the next succeeding runway. 1

A further object isto provide a toy marble coaster having a plurality of runways adapted for use in series array, each ofwhich is provided with independent supporting instrumentality for use upon any vertical v smooth surface such as upon a window pane or an enamelled Wall surface.

A further object is to'provide a toy of the knock-down type which when disassembled may be packed in a relatively small container box.

Other objects, the advantages and the uses of the invention will be, or should become apparent after reading the'following description and claims, and after a' consideration ofthe accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification-in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a toy embodying features of my invention,

Fig. 2 is a sectional view alongthe line IIII of Fig. .1,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view along the line IIIIII of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is an elevation of one of thehoppers,

Fig.5 is a side elevation of one of a plurality of runways, comprising; another embodiment of the invention, a

Fig. 6 is a sectional view alongth'e line VIVI of Fig; 5, and a Fig. 7 is a front elevation of a complete assembly of the toy using the runways of Fig. 5. In general the embodiments of the toymarble coaster selected for illustration herein comprise, "a plurality of marble runways A of thin stamped sheet metal each having at one end a hopper B for receiving a marble and deliveringit upon a trough C formed longitudinally of the runway and having the opposite end free. of obstruction and slightly upturned to discharge the marble into the air upon completion of its travel down the runway under force of gravity so that it may fall through its normal trajectory into the hopper B of the nextlowerand" adjacent runway and ultimately into a receiving receptacle D. The toy further includes mechanism for supporting the runwaysin relationship with one another as desired thereby providing a wide range in the disposition of the various elements or the toy'to the pleasure and display of skill of the operator.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 to Ainelusive, the toy marble coaster illustrated therein comprises an assembly of separable elements which may be knocked down and packed within a relatively small cartonas during shipment and in the stock room. The assembly includes the shallow self support ing receptacle D constructed preferably of thin sheet metalturned upwardly at one end as shown at 11. A'sheetmetal channel 12 arranged for support in an upright position upon one extended side wall 13 ofthe receptacle D by means of a wing nut assembly 14 provides the necessary structure upon which the several runways A may be detachably and adjustably mounted.

Each of the runways A may be of identical form and stamped and otherwise fashioned of relatively thin sheet metal stock. The trough or longitudinal depressionC of the runways are preferably V-shaped so as to receive marbles of various diameters there- 9 upon and conduct them under force of gravity with accuracy along the longitudinal axis of therunways as when the runways are inclined as shown. 1A substantially cylindrical hopper or receiving member B is formed integrally upon one end of each of the runways above the trough C of sufficient internal diameter to receive a marble with a considerable clearance on all sides and to guide it upon the trough C. In order to assure that the marble or rolling body may properly seek its way upon the trough C a portion 15 of the remote wall of the receiving member B is sheared away and bent inwardly in a convex plane as may be seen in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

The outer ends of each of the runways A may be curved upwardly as shown at 16 to induce the projection of the marble in an upward direction as it leaves the runway under the kinetic energy acquired during its downward travel from the receiving end of the runway so that it may describe a more visible curve in passing through its trajectory as represented in the dotted arrow of Fig. 1.

Means to facilitate the quick detachable and adjustable mounting of the runways A upon the supporting channel 12 regardless of which of two directions the discharge end 16 of the runways may be pointed comprises upstanding flanges 17 formed along the lateral edges of the runways which may be received by sliding engagement within L shaped slots 18 formed in the side walls 19 of the supporting channel 12.

The slots 18 are so aligned with one another as to induce inclination of the runways a predetermined degree but to permit free longitudinal adjustment of the runways thus providing the selection of the gap between the adjacent discharge and receiving ends of the runways to the discretion and skill of the operator and responsive to variations in the mass of the marble or rolling body.

I have thus provided a toy having a high degree of amusement value particularly to smaller children and one in which the skill of older children and adults may be challenged in the anticipation of the paths of the projected and falling marbles through adj ustment of the several runways, one relative to another.

In Figs. 5 to 7 inclusive, I have illustrated another form of the toy possessing wide variation of assembly.

In this form of the toy the runways A may be fixed at will upon any smooth verti cal supporting surface such as upon a window pane, an enamelled wall or upon a smooth board in any relationship desired. This novel feature resides in the disposition of a rubber suction cup 21 upon the side of the runway apron 22. The apron 22 may be formed as an integral extension of downwardly extending reinforcing flanges 23 formed on each side of the runway.

In order that adequate lateral support for the runways may be had the aprons 22 may be curved outwardly below the suction cups 21 to contact with the vertical supporting surface 24.- as shown at 25. The suction cups 21 may be fixed to the aprons 22 by passing the neck 26 of a mushroom button 27 formed on the outer wall of the cups through an elongated or right angular aperture 28 punched through the apron wall.

In use the runways A may be supported as close or as far apart as desired and the inclination of each and hence the velocity of the projected marble determined at will. The toy therefore gives rise to a maximum display of the skill and judgment of the child or adult called upon to assemble the parts in such a manner as to compel the progress of the marbles successively from one runway to another and ultimately into the receptacle D.

I claim:

1. A game of skill for anticipating the trajectory of a projected and falling body comprising, projecting means for imparting a predetermined velocity to the body and a receiving member adjustable as to position relative to said projecting means whereby the player may shift the receiving member at will until the body when projected may fall therein, said body and said projecting means having rubber suction cups for engagement with a smooth supporting surface.

2. A toy comprising a plurality of runways upon which a small spherical body may ride under force of gravity, said runways each having a receiving member at one end presenting a relatively large orifice for admitting and guiding the spherical body to the runway and having the opposite end upturned and independent means for adjustably mounting each of said runways upon a vertical supporting member for longitudinal movement relative to said member so that the discharge end of one will bear a desired relationship to the receiving member of the next succeeding and lower runway.

' 3. A toy comprising a plurality of runways upon which a small spherical body may ride under force of gravity, said runways each having a receiving member at one end presenting a relatively large orifice for admitting and guiding the spherical body to the runway and having the opposite end unobstructed and independent means for adjustably mounting each of said runways upon a vertical supporting member for longitudinal movement relative to said member so that the discharge end of one will bear a desired relationship to the receiving member of the next succeeding and lower runway.

4. A toy comprising a plurality of runways upon which a small body may roll under force of gravity, each of said runways having a receiving end and a discharge end, and each provided with means operable by atmospheric pressure for detachably fixing the runways in series array upon a smooth supporting surface.

5. A toy comprising a plurality of runways upon which a small body may roll under force of gravity, each of said runways having a receiving end and a discharge end,

51 and each provided with a rubber suction cup for detachably fixing the runways in series array upon a smooth supporting surface.

6. A toy comprising a plurality of runways upon which a small body may roll under force of gravity, each of said runways having a receiving end and a discharge end, and each provided with a rubber suction cup disposed upon one side of the runway for detachably fixing the runways in series array upon a 5 smooth vertical supporting surface.

7. A toy comprising a plurality of runway-s upon which a small body may roll under force of gravity, said runways each having a receiving end and having the opposite end un- I obstructed, a vertical supporting member and means for mounting said runways in series array one above the other upon said supporting member and for manually shifting the runways along their longitudinal axis to cause the body to fall from the discharge end of one runway into the receiving end of the next lower runway.

8. A toy comprising a plurality of runways upon which a small body may roll under force 0 of gravity, said runways each having a receiving end and having the opposite end unobstructed, a vertical supporting member and means for mounting said runways in series array one above the other upon said supporting member and for manually shifting the runways along their longitudinal axis to cause the body to fall from the discharge end of one runway into the receiving end of the next lower runway, said mounting means including irregular slots formed in the sup-porting member for receiving a portion of the runways by sliding engagement along the longitudinal axis thereof.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

PETER BRUNNER. 

